06 August 2004
Investment of £50m in wave and tidal power announced this week could put Scotland on the high road to becoming a world leader in generating power from the sea, ministers claim.
The Department of Trade and Industry gave details of the new investment, due to fund projects in Wales as well as Scotland, which could create up to 7,000 jobs in the renewable energy industry.
The move follows a study by the Forum for Renewable Energy Development, which found that marine energy could generate 10% of Scotland's electricity by 2020. The concentration on marine energy may also help to defuse controversy about wind farms and their impact on the countryside.
Ministers are committed to 10% of electricity being generated from renewable sources by 2010, with that figure doubling to 20% ten years later.
Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt said: 'Renewable energy, through wind, wave and other sources, plays a vital part in our fight against climate change and we are committed to further developing renewable energy to play an increasing role in the UK's energy mix.
'This announcement reflects that vision and puts us firmly on the path to becoming the world leader in renewable energy.'
Scotland's deputy enterprise minister, Lewis Macdonald, welcomed the investment. 'I am delighted that the DTI has responded so positively to the need to support our emerging marine energy sector,' he said. The world's first commercial wave-power generator is already in operation on the island of Islay.
Dan Barlow of Friends of the Earth Scotland said: 'There is huge potential to generate pollution-free energy from wave and tidal power, making a significant contribution to reducing emissions.'
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